Two Common Meditation Myths and What you Can Do To Overcome Them

There are so many studies showing the positive effects of meditation such as improved sleep, reduced blood pressure and greater focus to name a few. Even though we are aware of these benefits, it seems to be hard to actually implement this practice.  Why is this?  Well for many, the idea of mediating can sound a little intimidating.

Myth 1: I Don’t Have Time for Meditation

You may be thinking, “Oh great, here is another thing I should be doing but honestly I just don’t have the time or energy to add another task to my already full plate.”

Now while this thinking makes a lot of sense, the reality is that meditation can bring the opportunity in having more time.

So what does this statement really mean?

Well in truth, the reality for many is that adding this practice into their lives leads to:

• Increase in focus

• More calm demeanor

• Mentally present throughout the day

• A feeling of greater accomplishment

• Improved mood

My personal experience with meditation

I can speak to this experience myself.

Meditating has helped me to:

• Get more accomplished both personally and professionally.

• Feel less overwhelmed, fatigued and stressed.

• Gain better quality sleep.

Meditation does not have to be time consuming

In fact, it could be as short as 5 minutes.  One idea is to schedule in 5 minute sessions on busier days and 15 minute session of less hectic days.  Regardless of the time you set aside for this activity, science continues to show that people gain the same amount of benefit as those who practice meditation for longer periods of time per session.

Now at this point you might be thinking, “Well this all sounds lovely but I just don’t know how to actually meditate and I probably won’t even do it right.”

Myth 2: I Don’t Know How to Meditate

There are actually two ways to meditate and the second type is really more suited to modern life.

Passive and Active Meditation Practices

The first type is passive meditation and the second type is active meditation.

So while passive meditation focuses on keeping the mind clear of thought and sitting in silence for a period of time, active meditation encourages thought to be a part of the meditation experience.

Specifically, an active meditative process is about bringing into focus a concern going on in your life which is then at the forefront of your mind. While practicing active meditation, you are able to have the time and space to focus your attention on the stressor and approach the situation of concern with new insights and possible solutions.

Brain benefits

When feeling more calm and relaxed, the brain is better able to think creatively and support you in the problem solving process. In other words, the active meditative process can help support you in resolving challenges, and get through difficult experiences with greater ease.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this article and if I was able to help dispel some of the myths of meditation. Hopefully at this point, this self-care resource feels more approachable and easier to incorporate.

If you want to read more about meditation, then please take a look at this article where I explore different breathing practices.